Wheels come off for car fraudster’s wife

The wife of a fraudster who made millions clocking cars and selling drugs has lost her share in business units worth more than £1M after the National Crime Agency won a legal battle against her.

Jacqueline Hemingway, 49, had a mortgage for seven business units in Ossett, West Yorkshire, where her husband Adrian Hemingway cultivated a cannabis farm.

Hemingway, 52, is serving a six-year jail term for failing to pay a £2.2M confiscation order made against him in 2009 when a judge ruled the units were acquired through mortgage fraud.

This followed his conviction for car clocking and other frauds.

He is also serving a consecutive four-year sentence handed down in 2011 for cultivating cannabis and intent to supply.

While Mrs Hemingway, of Brandy Carr Road, Wakefield, was investigated in 2009, no prosecution was brought against her and she was allowed to keep her stake in the units.

This prompted an investigation by the NCA which used civil recovery powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to obtain a property freezing order over the units in March 2014.

Mrs Hemingway said that though she had signed the mortgage application, she had not filled it out.

The NCA argued that Mrs Hemingway’s share represented the proceeds of crime because she was complicit in the mortgage fraud.

She fought the case but her application for relief from sanctions was refused and she was prevented from participating further in the proceedings.

As a result, judgment on the claim was given in favour of the NCA and the units, worth approximately £1.1M, will now be sold.

Stephanie Jeavons deputy director of the NCA’s Economic Crime Command, said: “Without the civil recovery powers this action wouldn’t have been possible and the couple would still have half the assets.”